The week of the MLS Cup final is here folks, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake square off at Sporting Park this Saturday for the 2013 crown.

Can you believe it?

Both sides have had a tremendous campaign this year and many expect Sporting KC and RSL to put on a real show of attacking soccer in front of a sold-out home crowd in KC on Saturday afternoon. With the potential for a monumental showdown on the menu, we thought it was certainly worth taking a trip down memory lane to remind ourselves of the best MLS Cups over the past 18 years.

Here’s my top three MLS Cups since it all began in 1996, do you agree?

MLS Cup ’96 – D.C. United 3-2 LA Galaxy (OT) - Has there been a better final than the rain-soaked occasion at Foxboro in October? That’s a debate for another day, but this game certainly had it all as D.C. United took home the first-ever MLS Cup by dashing the Galaxy’s dream as the Californian club raced into a 2-0 as Eduardo Hurtado and Chris Armas put them in a commanding position just after half time. But two tallies in the final 19 minutes from Tony Sanneh and Shawn Medved took the game to extra-time as over 34,000 fans cheered on both teams in the wind and rain. Bruce Arena’s D.C. side then won the game in overtime as USMNT defender Eddie Pope etched his name into MLS history. What a game to start it all off.

MLS Cup ’03 – San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 Chicago Fire – Under the beaming sun in Carson, California, the San Jose Earthquakes won their second MLS Cup in three years as they downed the Fire with an offensive explosion. A certain Landon Donovan stole the show with MVP honors for his two goals, yet this game wasn’t a forgone conclusion as it ebbed and flowed between the two stacked sides. San Jose went 2-0 up early as Ronnie Ekelund and Donovan struck but Chicago came back into the game after half time as DaMarcus Beasley made it 2-1. Richard Mulrooney regained San Jose’s two-goal advantage but four minute later Chris Roner put through his own net to make it 3-2 as the Fire felt a second MLS Cup was waiting in the wings. They had the perfect chance to draw level but Pat Onstad saved Ante Razov’s penalty kick and Donovan sealed the 4-2 victory for the ‘Quakes late on.

MLS Cup ’09 – LA Galaxy 1-1 Real Salt Lake (RSL won 5-4 on PKs)- There weren’t as many goals in this game as the other memorable MLS Cup finals I’ve mentioned but there was shed loads of drama. David Beckham, Landon Donovan and co. were all set to waltz right into Qwest Field and wipe the floor with Jason Kreis’ RSL side… it didn’t pan out that way at all. The two Western Conference foes locked horns and an intense battle played out in Seattle. LA struck first just before the break through Mike Magee but with 25 minutes left Robbie Findley equalized for RSL to take the game to overtime. No goals were scored in OT and for the second time in MLS Cup history, the winner was decided by penalty shootout. Nick Rimando emerged as the hero for RSL as he saved three LA spot kicks and after Edson Buddle’s missed, veteran Robbie Russel stepped up to score the winner and give Salt Lake their first-ever MLS Cup in just their fifth year of existence.

Nice topic. The 1996 MLS cup final is my favorite because under inclement weather and a full house, DC United managed to score the game winner in a dramatic goal winner in which Marcos “El Diablo” Etcheverry took a corner kick just to have Eddie Pope headed it. Again, the rain made it a difficult game for both teams, but the game reached a crescendo and winning the game like that was “Epic”

I have to completely agree with you. Marco Etcheverry along with Jamie Moreno and perhaps Raul Diaz Arce, even though he was more of a poacher were the heart of the team. Not to take away from anyone else. That was the best team ever compiled by any MLS team ever. I wish I knew what happened to the league after 1999.